Healing Love
by OneTartBabe
Summary: A serial rapist is on the loose in Trenton.  Ranger and the Merry Men seek revenge & justice like only they can.
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **The characters belong to Janet Evanovich. I'm not making any money, just playing around._

_**Author's Note: **This story is rated M. It contains some foul language and violence, including rape. Overall I hope for it to be a romance, but it starts out rocky and there will be some violence in later chapters. We will have a Babe HEA._

_**Chapter 1 - Steph's POV**_

Joe and I had broken up three months ago. Shortly after our break up, he moved to Richmond to take a job. Finally realizing that we couldn't get back together allowed us both to move on. True to his word, Ranger didn't leave my bed empty for long. I was hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with Batman, had been for a long time if I was honest. Thankfully he admitted to loving me too; otherwise I'd be more than just a little miserable right now. Ranger had been gone for a month, he was four weeks into what he said should be a six week mission. I couldn't wait for him to get home.

Ranger had told me that I was welcome to stay at his penthouse but I couldn't do it. I tried a few times, but I wanted to wait until he was there to move in. The Merry Men had been their usual protective selves, it was helpful in catching my skips that was for sure, but it did leave me feeling a bit smothered which was probably another reason for keeping my apartment; I needed a little space.

I spent every night thinking about Ranger before I went to sleep. I thought about things I would say to him if he was here. I imagined that he could hear my thoughts, that we were connected in some way. I would sit and think about what he would tell me about his day, if he could if he wasn't doing something top secret. Before I closed my eyes, I would tell him to keep safe and come home to me, that I loved him. It made me feel better and I hoped that I was sending out enough vibrations into the air that he could feel them where ever he was in the world.

After my little imaginary chat with Ranger, I was able to sleep. When I first started having these chats, I thought they were silly and tried not to do them, but found that I couldn't sleep unless I did. It became my nightly ritual, think about and silently chat with Ranger before washing up and climbing into bed. I wasn't sure if I could tell him about these nightly chats when he got home, but I knew if he ever had to go away again that I could fall back on them to keep myself sane.

I woke up in the middle night, my spidey sense firing on all cylinders. The room was cold. Someone was in my bedroom standing over me as I slept and since my neck wasn't tingling, I knew it wasn't Ranger. I tried to scramble away from where the man was standing, hoping I could at least get into my bathroom.

A hand clamped around my arm, pulling me back onto the bed. I was pushed onto my back and the man straddled my waist. I fought, my legs kicking uselessly as panic filled me. I saw him cock his arm back before the world went black.

Coming awake, I tried to move my arms but found that I couldn't. My head felt like it had been split in two. "So nice to see you're awake." A stranger was lying next to me in bed. My hands were tied behind my back and I was completely nude. His hand reached out, his finger tracing my nipple. I whimpered, tried to move away.

The man climbed on top of me again. I tried to focus on his face hoping that I could at least identify him but it was too dark in here for me to find anything recognizable about him. His erection pressed against my stomach causing the full understanding of what he was planning to do to come crashing down on me. I screamed out, hoping that one of my senior citizen neighbors would hear me. His hands clamped down over my neck, choking me. I could see stars and knew that he could easily kill me.

He leaned down, his breath hot on my ear. "No one is going to help you now. I don't want to kill you, but I will. Just relax and enjoy."

I felt him push my legs apart with his knees. I tried to move my head, tried to wiggle away from him. I didn't recognize the sounds and whimpers coming from my own throat as his hands squeezed my windpipe. He entered me in one harsh motion, my body ripping from the sudden invasion. I tried to scream in pain, but his hand on my throat prevented it from getting loud. It seemed that he was chipping away at my soul with each thrust. I wanted to throw up but forced the bile back, focused my mind on just surviving this ordeal. When my attacker was done and climbed off me, I pulled my knees up to my chest and rolled over. He ran his finger down my cheek, "Thank you." His voice was almost gentle in stark contrast to the brutality he'd unleashed on me seconds ago.

My eyes followed him as he walked out of my bedroom, towards the front door. Hearing the door shut behind him gave me the permission I needed to break down. Hiccuping through my sobs, I tried to think of what I should do next. My hands were still tied behind me and I didn't know how to get out of it. I tried to think of what Ranger would want me to do, but the thought of him only made me more hysterical. All I could think about was how mad he was going to be at me, if I had stayed at his penthouse this wouldn't have happened.

Eventually, I tried to calm down and do what Ranger had told me to do if I needed anything while he was gone. I called Tank. I used my chin to slide the screen of my phone on and dial Tank. It took a little work but I was able to do it without getting terribly frustrated. My alarm clock was showing it after three am, but I knew he would answer.

"Yo." Came his sleepy voice, I was never so happy to hear that yo in my life.

"Tank, I need help."

"Little Girl, where are you?" I could hear fabric rustling and knew he was already moving.

"My apartment."

"I'll be there quickly. Are you alone?" I knew he was trying to gather information so he knew what he was walking into.

"Yes, I think so, I heard him leave."

"Him who, Steph? I heard Tank knock on a door and knew he was probably getting Les or Bobby.

"I don't know." I was starting to panic now, thinking he might come back. My breath was coming fast as I started to hyperventilate. "Hurry please Tank, he might come back."

"Take deep breaths, Steph. I don't want you passing out on me." I heard him knocking again and assumed that whomever he'd woken up was able to ESP with him, as I didn't hear him talking to anyone else. "Can you get out of your apartment?"

"No, my hands are tied behind my back and I'm, I'm naked." I tried to do as he said, tried to calm my breathing down, but it wasn't happening. I was suddenly very sore, my body aching from the assault. Shivers began to wrack my body, I tried to wiggle under the covers to get warm.

He growled, "We're on our way, Little Girl. Stay on the phone with me, ok?" I heard the engine of a car turn over and knew that he was telling me the truth. I had no idea how they could be up and ready that quickly but I was even more grateful for their military training allowing them to move out at the drop of a hat.

Tank kept talking to me on the phone. His deep voice kept me calm, he didn't hang up until he was outside my apartment door. He, Bobby, and Lester came rushing into my bedroom, guns drawn. Tank stood in front of me as his hands worked to cut the ropes binding my hands. When I was free, I wrapped my hands around my knees pulling them to my chest.

Bobby knelt on the floor, his eyes level with mine, "Steph, honey, what happened?" He reached out to brush the hair out of my face, I flinched even though I knew he wouldn't hurt me. He winced at the bruise on the side of my face.

"A man broke in, I need to go to the hospital." I watched as the three of them looked at each other, their faces concerned and angry. They knew how much I hated hospitals, knew that if I was asking to go something must be seriously wrong. "He raped me." I whispered it, afraid to admit it, afraid of their reactions. I heard them growl, watched their bodies tense at the news. I could feel their anger but couldn't discern if it was aimed at me or not.

"Please don't be mad at me. I know I should have stayed at Ranger's apartment, if I had this wouldn't have happened." A few tears escaped as I tried to keep my hysteria under control.

Lester knelt down beside Bobby, "Beautiful, we aren't mad at you, this isn't your fault." His green eyes were so sincere, so pained that I couldn't help but nod my head in agreement.

"Did you recognize him Steph? Do you know who did this to you?" Bobby's jaw was clenching but his voice was tender.

"No, it was dark in here but I didn't recognize him. I might if I saw him again, though." I wasn't even sure about that, but I would try to identify my rapist if I could.

Tank had stepped away, I could hear him on the phone calling for the police and ambulance. He came back, leaning over to look at me. Tentatively, he reached out a finger to wipe away my tears. His movements were slow and deliberate; I knew he was trying not to scare me. "The police and ambulance are coming Steph. When you're done at the hospital, we'll take you back to Haywood. Can we pack you a bag?"

I nodded and tried to sit up. I kept the sheet wrapped around my body, Bobby helping me maneuver body upright. "I can help."

"Just stay still, Little Girl, wait for the EMTs." Tank's voice was firm as he pulled clothing out of my drawers and closet stuffing them into a bag. He stopped packing, looking like something just occurred to him. "Why is it so cold in here?"

"I think he came in through the window. I keep it locked but he must have come in that way." I shivered as Tank went to the window to investigate. He pulled the curtain back and found a hole cut into the glass.

Tank ran his hand over his face, "He was able to open your lock by slipping his hand through that hole." Tank's face flashed anger and something else I couldn't quite place before the blank face locked on.

Lester sat next to me, his arm wrapping around my shoulder drawing me into his body. I couldn't stop shivering and tried to get closer to him, wanting to absorb his warmth. Bobby wrapped another blanket around me, "Steph, take deep breaths for me, ok?" I tried to do what he said, knowing that I had to stay calm.

A knock at the door made me jump and whimper. Lester sshed me, "You're safe now, Beautiful. We won't let anyone hurt you." I knew that, of course, when I was with the Merry Men no one had ever hurt me but my nerves were frazzled.

Tank answered the door and returned a minute later with Carl, Big Dog, and two EMTs, thankfully one of them was a woman. I didn't think I could handle a strange man touching me right now. Carl and Big Dog looked pissed and Tank looked even angrier but I couldn't figure out why.

The woman approached me asking if she could look at my wounds. After she examined me briefly, she helped me onto the gurney to take me to the hospital. I sat down and was instantly panicked at the idea of being alone with people I didn't know. "Can one of the guys come with me?"

Bobby stepped forward at my request, "I'm a trained medic, I won't get in your way." The EMTs nodded at Bobby and I breathed a sigh of relief.

Tank and Lester both kissed my forehead and promised to see me at the hospital. They were going to finish packing my bag and talk to the cops before meeting Bobby and I there. Bobby took my hand and held it as the EMTs moved me out of the building and into the back of the ambulance.

The EMTs loaded me; Bobby and the woman sitting with me in the back, the male EMT driving. The woman attended to me a bit but mostly just sat on the other side of me. I looked at Bobby, "How am I going to tell Ranger when he gets home? He's going to be so mad." I could feel tears threatening to spill as I thought about Ranger, I wanted him here with me so very much but I was afraid that this would threaten our very new relationship.

Bobby squeezed my hand, "He is going to be mad but not at you Steph. When he finds outs, he's going to do everything he can to get to you. This wasn't your fault. Steph you know he loves you, this isn't going to change that."

I tried to give him a brave smile but everything about how I was feeling was turned upside down. I couldn't get a handle on my nerves or thoughts. Allowing myself to believe Bobby's words, I thought of Ranger in hopes that I could absorb some of the security and protection I always felt when we he was near.

At the hospital, I was instantly put into a private exam room. Bobby stayed with me holding my hand, wiping away the occasional tear from my cheeks. When the doctor and nurse came in to examine me, they said it was up to me if I wanted Bobby to stay or not. I figured it would be uncomfortable for us both for him to stay, even though I was terrified to be alone.

He kissed my forehead when I said he didn't need to stay. "I'll be right outside the door. Yell if you need anything." He looked in my eyes and obviously saw the fear I was struggling with, "Steph, I promise you're safe. I won't let anyone but the doctor and nurse come in here."

I nodded and squeezed his hand before he walked out of the room. The nurse explained what the exam would entail, patiently dealing with my tears as the doctor pulled up the stirrups. I put my feet in the stirrups and for the second time tonight tried to distract myself from the violation I was enduring. I knew this had to be done, but it was no less humiliating or frightening. I tried to think about Ranger coming home, of him holding me. Those thoughts helped me get through the exam.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter 2 - Tank's POV**_

Lester and I were following Carl and Big Dog's car to the hospital. Crime scene investigators were still at Steph's apartment. Carl let us know that this was third attack by who they now believe is a serial rapist. The attack was similar to two others in that the victim was a petite brunette with the rapist entering through a glass window and leaving through the front door.

Had I known about the other two attacks, Steph wouldn't have been at her apartment. I would have made her stay at Haywood or put guards at her place. I would never have left her unprotected knowing she could be a target to some serial sicko. As it was the guilt was eating at me, no one should ever touch her in violence. I know she resisted our protection but we should have done more to put alarms on her windows and doors.

Lester was driving as I was leaving messages for Ranger with every possible contact he might talk with in the coming days. Steph needed him, his love, and his brand of comfort now more than ever. We could keep her safe, even comfort her superficially, but no one else could truly give her the love and security she needed to recover from this trauma other than Ranger.

I knew that he'd want to know, immediately; though I was going to hate giving him this news over the phone while he was in some godforsaken country. Who was I kidding, I was going to hate giving him this news period. How do you tell a man that the love of his life was beaten and raped in her own bed? I knew that rage would consume him and that he would beat back the hounds of hell to get to her as quickly as his legs would carry him.

At the hospital we found Bobby guarding an exam room. His jaw was clenched so tight I thought he might be grinding his teeth into dust. I knew we were all feeling the same way, Steph was a little sister to all of us and no one hurt her without paying some kind of serious retribution. We would find this rapist and make him scream in agony before hiding his body parts all over the east coast.

The nurse and police photographer came out of the exam room. The photographer nodded at Carl and Big Dog. The nurse turned to Bobby, "She wants to see you now; she's terrified and shouldn't be left alone." Bobby nodded.

We all entered the small exam room, our large bodies filling it quickly. Steph was dressed in hospital scrubs, the v-neck of the shirt exposing hand-shaped bruises ringing her neck. I forced my shoulders to relax wanting to make sure I gave her tenderness not anger despite how hot that rage burned in my veins.

Carl and Big Dog took her statement. They asked us to leave but Steph insisted that we stay. Her hands shook, her eyes glazed and distant as she recounted the horror of her attack. She didn't cry much, a few tears slid down her face but the shock of it all hadn't worn off yet. I watched as all of us men clenched our jaws and visibly winced as she talked about being violated and literally torn. My fists clenched constantly at my side, I knew the pleasure of killing this bastard would belong to Ranger and Ranger alone, but I was going to enjoy torturing him for a long time first.

Ranger had exacted revenge on her behalf before, had killed to protect her. Those were all before she was officially his woman, there would be no containing the animal within him now that they had both finally admitted their love. He would care for Steph first, but then he would be unstoppable in his pursuit of the scum who'd hurt her.

When she was finished, she looked at us, her exhaustion evident. Carl and Big Dog gave us a nod letting us know we could take her home. Bobby and Lester helped her stand, supporting her weight as we walked to the car. She didn't want to be carried, despite the fact that we all wanted to care for her in that way.

The three of us were silently dying at her pain and would do anything to make her feel better. Steph was lost in her own thoughts and fears, she knew she was safe with us but the trauma of her ordeal had clearly taken something from her spirit. We've dealt with rape victims before but knowing and loving the victim changed everything. We weren't used to being helpless, we were used to controlling every situation. Not knowing who hurt her, not having any leads made it much worse for us. There was no one specific to aim our anger at yet.

We pulled into the garage at Haywood when Steph spoke for the first time since leaving the hospital, "Does everyone know? Am I already the center of gossip here and in the 'Burg?"

Lester was sitting with her in the back and answered trying to calm her nerves. "Everyone is trying very hard to keep your identity confidential. Rape victims are never named in the paper so that should keep this out of the 'Burg Grapevine. The guys, you know, monitor the police scanner so they may know generally what happened but we'll do everything we can to protect your privacy, Beautiful."

Bobby scrambled the cameras as we got her up to Ranger's seventh floor apartment. We knew the guys would want to help but we did want to protect her privacy. It would be her decision to share details if and when she wanted. If the guys found out, they'd all be out hunting the fucker who hurt Steph. Every man in the building loved Steph and none of them tolerated violence against her. Hell if one of her skips laid a hand on her, he was hurting for a month after we'd gotten a hold of him.

We entered Ranger's apartment and put Rex on the counter before Steph asked for a shower. We had called ahead and asked Ella to have the place ready for her and to stock some things in the refrigerator. Bobby had been given some instructions about her aftercare by the doctors and helped her get ready for the shower.

We had told the control room that we would be available only for emergencies, we weren't leaving Steph alone. The three of us sat in Ranger's living room listening to the water run. It didn't take long for the sounds of her tears to reach us. Those noises were enough to break my heart. I was at a loss of how to help her, how to ease her pain.

The water was continuing to run in the bathroom when my cell rang. "Yo."

"Explain the emergency." Came Ranger's authoritative voice.

I got up and went out into the hall not wanting Steph to hear the conversation. Scrambling the cameras so that no one in the control room could hear our conversation, I took a deep breath. "Carlos, I'm sorry that I have to tell you this on the phone," I heard him intake a sharp breath and knew that he was thinking the worst. I rarely called him anything but Boss or Ranger but right now I was speaking to him as a friend, as Steph's friend. "Steph was attacked in her apartment. She was the third victim by what we know now is a serial rapist."

I could hear the woosh of air escape his lungs, "How is she now? Where is she?" I could tell he was barely containing his rage, but concern was his overriding emotion at the moment.

"Physically she'll heal. She was beaten and choked in addition to the rape. Bobby has all the details on her care and injuries if you want them. Emotionally, mentally, she's fragile, terrified. We're trying to comfort her. She's in your apartment with Lester and Bobby right now. Any way you can get here soon? She needs you." I knew that my words would be like a stab to his heart if he wasn't able to get away from his mission. At the same time, I wanted to make sure it was clear even though I was sure he knew how much he was needed.

"Actually, I'm in DC waiting to be debriefed. I got in yesterday but have been sleeping mostly. Send the company jet. I'll be ready by the time it arrives."

"Ranger you need to know that she's worried that you're going to be angry with her." I didn't want to tell him that ever, I knew it was ridiculous but wanted to him know what he was walking into.

"Explain."

"She thinks you're going to be mad that she didn't stay in your apartment, that if she had this wouldn't have happened. Bobby said she mentioned it too him, mentioned that she was worried you would think she was tainted somehow." We all knew these were typical emotions and reactions for a rape victim, but it was physically painful to know Steph was suffering from them.

Another sigh from his end of the phone, "Reassure her as much as possible. You know that's not how I think, Tank. Don't tell her I'm coming just in case there's a delay. I know this goes without saying but take care of her."

"We're not leaving her, until you get here." It was meant to be a reassurance to him but it was also a promise to her, a vow to make her feel as safe as possible.

"Any idea who this fucker is?" Ranger's voice had now turned hard as his focus shifted from his love to the asshole who hurt her.

"No, the police have precious little in the way of leads. We hadn't even heard about the other two attacks or we would never have left her alone, Boss."

"I know that. I've got to go, I'll be waiting for the plane." He hung up with that.

I made the call to arrange for the plane before walking back into the apartment. I couldn't hear the water running any longer but Steph still hadn't come out of the bedroom. I filled Lester and Bobby in on Ranger's stateside status in quiet whispers. Steph came out of the bedroom dressed in what I had to assume was Ranger's sweatshirt and pants, the huge fabric hanging from her tiny body. The way she was walking made it obvious that she was in pain.

Bobby quickly stood up to help walk to a chair and sit down. "Do you need something for the pain, Steph?"

She nodded. Her eyes were red and puffy; she looked exhausted. She wasn't crying much in front us, she never did but I hated knowing she was suffering behind closed doors because she wanted to spare us. "Little Girl, it's been a long morning, do you want to take a nap?" I knew she needed the rest. She took the pills and water bottle from Bobby.

After she swallowed, her eyes met mine. They were full of sadness and fear, the usual bright blue, dull. "I am tired, but I don't want to go into the bedroom by myself. Will you all stay here with me while I sleep on the couch?"

"Of course, Beautiful." Lester helped her stand and get situated on the couch, covering her with a blanket. "We'll be right here, you're not alone and you are safe."

She gave him a slight smile as she snuggled into the blanket. "Can we watch a movie?" Her voice was small and quiet.

"Ghostbusters?" Bobby gave her a wink.

She smiled and that was all the answer we needed. As Bobby put the DVD in, she spoke up again. "Thanks guys. I know you rescue me all the time and I'm not sure I say thank you enough. I'm sorry, so sorry..." The tears started flowing freely now. Her breath coming in gasps.

The three of us knelt in front of her whispering words of comfort, trying to stem the flow of tears. Reassuring her that she had no reason to apologize. The three of us bad-asses were doing everything we could think of to calm her wounded soul and dreaming of ripping her attacker apart. The pain she was feeling was palpable to us; strong enough to bring tears to our eyes.

Eventually she cried herself to sleep, her body exhausted from the physical and mental trauma. The three of us sat and watched her sleep until the emotional toll claimed us as well. We stretched out on the floor and in chairs, none of us willing to leave her side until Ranger came home.

I woke up slightly refreshed and completely famished. Everyone else was still asleep as I rummaged through the food Ella had put in the refrigerator. I heated up some soup, smiling at the cake Ella had no doubt left just for Steph.

Watching the news quietly while I ate, I was glad to see that the police had made the serial rapist public knowledge. It was too late for Steph, but would hopefully protect some other women. I was doubtful that this kind of animal would stop, but I knew we would eventually find him and force him too stop. I wouldn't lose a minute's sleep over torturing and killing the fucker.

Steph sat up suddenly with a gasp, waking me from my thoughts of revenge. Bobby and Lester, ever the soldiers, were awake instantly hands on their guns as they tried to register what had her upset. I sat next to her, wrapping my arm around her shoulder, "Bad dream?"

She leaned her head onto my shoulder, nodding and sniffling. Her little body was shaking as my hands rubbed her arm. "He was on top of me again."

"Oh Beautiful." Lester sat down on the other side of her rubbing her hand between his.

She collected herself rather quickly. We all knew she was forcing it, living in denial but allowed her to deal in her own way. Bobby ever the medic and concerned about her physical health suggested lunch.

I heated more soup and set up bowls for each of us. Bobby gave her some more pain medication before helping her sit at the counter to eat with us. Her appetite wasn't normal but I suppose that was to be expected. The three of us watched her eat, trying to not make her uncomfortable but probably not succeeding. We just wanted to care for her but were no doubt going a bit overboard.

The penthouse door opened making Steph jump in fear and the three of us draw our guns, even though rationally we knew no threats could get in here. Ranger appeared his hands up signaling he was no threat. We put our guns away just as Steph registered who had come in.

He winced briefly at the bruises on her face and neck, "Babe."

She stood up as he took three long strides towards her. He wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close, her arms tight around his waist. The dam broke at his presence. She cried loud, wailing sobs while he whispered into her ear until her legs gave out. Ranger lifted her, carrying her into his bedroom with a nod to us as Bobby, Lester, and I made our exit to give them the privacy they so desperately needed.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter 3 - Ranger's POV**_

The flight from DC to Trenton was the longest I've ever taken. I was a wreck, something I couldn't ever remember being before. Worrying about Stephanie was something I was used too, something I learned to control but once Tank called my entire world was turned upside down. At first I feared that she was dead, her being raped was a very close second to my worst fears regarding a certain blue-eyed brunette. I couldn't fathom the turmoil she was experiencing; all I could think about was getting to her side and somehow making it all better.

Angry doesn't even begin to explain how I was feeling, but the concern I had for my Babe, for her physical and emotional well-being overrode that anger at the moment. Oh, I would find the fucker who thought he could mess with my woman and when I did the beast within me would be unleashed. The minute the plane touched ground my only thought was about holding Stephanie close to me, comforting and reassuring my love. She wasn't the only one needing comfort, I needed to hold her for my own sanity, too.

Meeting three guns when walking into my apartment shocked me but reminded me why exactly they were my best friends and most trusted team members. The fact that they drew their weapons inside RangeMan headquarters let me know just how affected they were by what happened to my girl. There would be no end to what they would do to find who had hurt their Bombshell.

I wrapped her up in my arms trying to be careful with what I assumed must be a bruised body. She buried her head into my chest and cried, her entire body violently shaking from the force of her sobs. Her anguish was breaking my heart. I caught her when her legs gave out, nodding to my core team before carrying her into our bedroom. I sshed her, whispered that everything would be okay as I sat against the headboard. She stayed in my lap, her arms tight around my waist. My hands ran up and down her back as her sobs quieted to sniffles.

"Are you ok? You're early from your mission, is that a good or bad thing?" Her eyes were curious behind the bruise and puffiness. I couldn't believe she was worried about me.

"Babe, I'm fine. I got to DC late last night. I debriefed quickly because Tank called me to let me know I was needed here." Actually I had pretty much just given my commanders a report and walked out. Nothing and no one was going to keep me from Steph any longer than the time it took for the plane to make the trip.

This was my last mission, there would be no more 'in the wind' for me. I was ready to settle down and live my life with Steph before this happened, knowing that she was brutalized when I wasn't around only cemented the belief that I needed to stay close to her for her safety and my peace-of-mind. I was ready to be a relatively simple business man who came home to his wife every night. I hadn't asked Steph yet but plan too the minute the timing is right.

"I'm so glad you're home. I missed you so much. I'm sorry." Her face scrunched up and I knew more tears were coming. "I'm so sorry, Carlos. I should have stayed here, please..."

I interrupted her, wanting to stop this self-blame. "Querida, this is not your fault. I'm not upset with you. I will not allow you to blame yourself for being victimized." I held her chin in between my thumb and forefinger wanting to make sure she saw the truth of my words in my eyes.

She nodded. "I wanted to give you a special welcoming when you got home. I'm sorry I can't do that right now." She blushed her eyes pained at the admission that she didn't want to have sex with me. Even if she tried to welcome me home in that way right now, I'd stop her.

"Babe, just knowing that you're alive and holding you in my arms is special enough. I'm so sorry I wasn't here to protect you." That was the truth, I was suffering with my own guilt for not flying home sooner, hell for leaving her in the first place.

"It's not your fault. He broke in through my window. I don't know who he was." I could feel her heart rate and breathing increase as she thought about what happened.

"They didn't tell you?" I was surprised that she didn't know she was the victim of a serial rapist, but then again the guys were probably too occupied with other things.

She looked at me, "They know who it was?"

"No," I shook my head. "Babe you were the third victim by a serial rapist." She started to cry again, moving her body closer to mine. "I'm sorry Querida. Unfortunately you were his type, nothing more, nothing less. You did nothing to provoke this and couldn't have stopped it."

Her tears came quietly but I could still feel them on my neck. I continued to hold her whispering to her in Spanish. I told her softly that I would rip her rapist's heart out; let her know that she was safe that I wouldn't let anyone else harm her.

Her tiny hand moved up and slid around my neck before she backed up so that she was looking into my eyes. "I am so glad that you're here. I need you, the guys took good care of me but they're not you." She leaned forward giving me a quick peck to the lips. It was tentative and more than I expected in the way of physical contact from her at this stage.

"I'm glad to be home too, Babe. I want to be here for you now and always." I kissed her forehead and pulled her back against my chest. "Are you in pain?"

"I'm sore but Bobby gave me something for the pain." I nodded against her head. "I'd like to take another shower, though."

"Of course, do you need some help." I helped her swing her legs off the bed and stand up.

She wrung her hands something I'd never seen her do before, "Will you just sit in there with me? I don't want to be alone."

"Sure, I'll sit with you Babe. I'm not going anywhere, you are not alone." I held my hand out to her which she quickly grasped before I led us into the bathroom. I had enough experience and training in dealing with a rape victim to know that she was probably going to want multiple showers for a while. The knowledge did nothing to ease my desire to comfort her; to wipe these horrible memories from her mind.

I watched as she peeled off my clothes, tossing them into the hamper. It thrilled me to know that she put my cloths on, the protective side me liked knowing she turned to what she had of me to feel safe. Those pleasant feelings faded the minute I saw her completely naked and covered in bruises. Her neck and hips had distinct hand print bruises telling the tale of everything she'd been through. I let out a slow, deep breath wanting to calm my rage. I would break every finger of the man who'd given her those bruises one by agonizing one.

She took a long, hot shower. I had to open the door to let the steam out. We talked a bit about nothing. I could tell she just wanted to hear my voice, assure herself that she wasn't alone. I wasn't much of a talker, Steph knew that, but I tried to keep the conversation flowing just to ease her mind.

Afterwards, we sat on the couch watching movies, her head on my lap. My fingers played with her hair. I had a million questions I wanted to ask her, but knew that I had to wait for her to open up. Steph was never known for her silence and she always bared her thoughts to me when she was ready. For the most time since I've known her I was the impatient one.

Ella brought dinner at six. She had made some cheesy pasta dish for Steph, something Steph would normally devour. Tonight, however; Steph just picked at it. I offered dessert instead of dinner but she only took a few bites of the chocolate cake before claiming to be full. I shouldn't be surprised at her lack of appetite but part of me hoped that something would be unchanged for her after this brutal attack.

After dinner, I wanted to take a shower. This time Steph sat outside the shower, I wanted to invite her in but knew that it was too early. I talked to her a little but could tell she was locked up inside her own mind. Watching her as I wrapped the towel around my waist, I made a silent promise to bring the light back to her eyes and the joy to her heart. Her hands were shaking and her eyes sad as she looked up at me.

We went to bed early, she was obviously exhausted. I was too, I hadn't completely recovered from my mission's sleep deprivation. She snuggled into my side, letting me wrap my arm around her. I felt her body exhale, but her hands were still shaking. I kissed her forehead, "Babe, you're safe here. I love you and I'm not going to leave you alone or unprotected." I silently added, ever again.

Hours later I woke up to find Steph checking the windows. "Babe?"

"He came in through the window, cut a hole in the glass." Her fingers were gliding over the glass, searching for some kind of breach.

I climbed out of bed and put my hands on her shoulders. "We're on the seventh floor, Steph. There's no fire escape he couldn't get into this window. Besides, I'm here and I wouldn't let anyone hurt you." This was the most secure building in Trenton, there was no way someone could get in here without the control room knowing it but I didn't feel the need to add to her guilt for not staying here while I was gone. Not adding to her guilt did add to mine, however; I should have done more to keep her from this kind of harm.

She leaned her body back into mine, her fingers clenching nervously at her sides. "I'm sorry, I know that its just that I've never been so scared. I can't seem to get myself calm or even into denial." She laughed a bit at herself, but the admission tore at my heart.

"It's ok, Steph. It's all over now, I promise no one will ever hurt you again." She turned around pressing her cheek against my chest. My hand cupped her head wanting to keep her there; wanting to ease her pain. "I could call Bobby for something to help you sleep."

She denied any sleep medication but did come back to bed with me. I awoke a few times during the night to the sounds of her whimpers. I expected nightmares knowing that she was usually plagued by them after much smaller traumas than a rape. I was able to calm her with quiet whispers and soothing touches. Each time I heard her whimper or cry out the anger inside of me was ignited and I knew that it wouldn't take much for the powder keg in my soul to go off.

I heard Ella come in early and leave breakfast in the kitchen. Steph was still asleep and as much as I wanted to stay with her, I needed to get up and move a bit. My muscles were tense and strained from my own anger and anxiety. I got up to get a little orange juice and stretch. A long, sweaty work-out was in order but I wasn't going to leave my Babe just yet.

Steph gasped and yelled out for me almost making me drop my glass at the suddenness of the outburst. I ran into the bedroom to find her sitting up in bed her eyes wide and frightened tears sliding down her cheeks. Sitting down next to her I pulled her into my side, her head instantly nuzzled into my neck.

Eventually I was able to get her relaxed and convince her to join me for breakfast. While we were sitting at the table it occurred to me that I didn't know who she wanted to tell and what she wanted to tell them about what had happened to her. "Steph do you want me to talk to your parents?"

She lifted her head from her plate and looked at me confused for a minute then shook her head no. "I don't want to tell them, unless there's a reason too. Lester said they'd keep my name out of the paper and it looked like even the cops were trying to be discrete about this. Do you think it'll make the 'Burg grapevine?"

I didn't know how to answer that question. I wasn't sure if it would be in the gossip mills yet or not. "I don't know Babe. I just want to know how you want to handle it."

"I don't want to do anything or tell anyone, except, maybe...think Tank could bring Lula over this morning?" She was chewing on her lip as she spoke, the idea of being the center of gossip once again was only adding to her emotional distress.

"I'm sure he'd be happy too. I'll call him while you're in the shower." I reached across the table and gave her hand a squeeze.

She left the bathroom door open when she got into the shower, I knew this was her way of assuring herself that she wasn't alone. I called Tank who was more than happy to bring Lula by and told him that I'd want to have a meeting with the core team while the girls talked. It was time for us to start to gathering information and coming up with a plan to erase a sick fuck from the world.

We were sitting on the couch, Steph so close to me she was practically in my lap. Her hand was a vice grip around mine but still shaking when there was a knock at the door. She jumped and gasped at the sudden noise. I put my arm around her shoulder, "Babe it's just Tank and Lula. You're safe here."

She nodded against me, but didn't let go of my hand when I went to stand up. We answered the door together. Lula gave Steph a sad, brave smile Tank obviously giving her some details before they arrived. Tank nodded at me while the girls exchanged silent but firm hugs.

"We'll leave you two alone." I gave Steph's hand a firm squeeze. "I'll be on five if you need me, Babe." She nodded and let go of my hand.

Tank gave Lula a kiss on the cheek, "Call me when you're ready to go."

Lester and Bobby were waiting for us in my office when we got downstairs. The police had no idea who the serial rapist was, he didn't leave behind any DNA or fingerprint evidence at any of the crime scenes so far. He attacked the women in the dark, none of them completely sure they could identify him. The pattern of attacks seemed to be every two weeks, all of the victims small brunettes who lived alone with fire escapes leading out of their bedroom windows.

The police had called in the FBI for help in profiling and the news media had been made aware. Hopefully that would protect some women, though psychos like this tended to find a way to continue on their sick paths. Still we were all left with the knowledge that we only had two weeks to find this guy or he was likely to hurt another woman and that he might escalate to murder.

The four of us talked frankly about not letting this animal live to see the inside of jail cell. It wasn't that any of us enjoyed killing another human being, but in this case nothing less than a painful death would satisfy me or them. I would tell Steph afterwards just so she would know she had nothing to fear but I would spare her the brutal details and brutal it will be.

When Lula called for Tank, we both went upstairs. I wasn't leaving Steph alone until she was completely ready and even then I wasn't sure if I would be ready to leave her side ever. We found the gals sitting on the couch smiling slightly but both had obviously been crying.

As they were leaving, I gave Lula a big hug surprising everyone in the room. I knew she would be a source of great therapy for Steph as she overcame this ordeal. Steph squeezed Tank's hand and thanked him quietly for caring for her and bringing Lula over before they disappeared behind the elevator doors.

We spent the rest of the day chatting leisurely about decisions she had made as a result of her chat with Lula. She didn't want to tell her family unless there was no other choice. She believed that no good could come from them knowing that they would only be pained at the news. I understood that she was trying to protect them but as a father I know I wouldn't want to be kept in the dark about this kind of thing. Steph argued that it would be different if she was still a child but at her age she didn't feel that her parents would benefit from the knowledge. I let it slide knowing that there was no point in arguing once she had her mind set.

At bedtime, I came from the bathroom to find her checking the windows. She blushed when she saw that I'd caught her. I tried to reassure her but knew that the securing of windows and checking of them in the middle of the night might be a routine for a while until I was able to prove to her that her rapist was never going to harm her again. As she snuggled against me and drifted off to sleep I promised to put an end her fear of him returning so that she could get on with the recovery process and her life.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4 - Steph's POV**_

I haven't left the RangeMan building since Tank, Lester, and Bobby brought me here a week ago. I've barely left the seventh floor or Ranger's side for that matter. Lula has come by each day to check on me, her unique way of loving me, of making me laugh has been a giant rock of support. It's only when she's here that Carlos hasn't been with me. I'm not sure how he can stand my clinging to him constantly, but he hasn't complained or even hinted at being annoyed with it or me.

He's accepted and even accompanied me during the pre-bedtime ritual of checking the windows as well as the middle of the night rechecking of the same windows. I try to resist the compulsion but the longer I wait to do it the more anxious I get. Carlos holds my hand as we walk to the windows, he lets me check until I'm satisfied and crawls back into bed with me. After each check he reminds me that I'm safe that he won't let anyone hurt me. Rationally I know that. I know that he would never let anyone hurt me when he was near but my fear gets the best of me. Carlos reminds me that it'll take time to heal, but I grow frustrated with myself often.

I've gone downstairs to work with Ranger in his office on five a few times. I find it hard to be around the Merry Men, it's not that I'm afraid of them so much as I feel ashamed. They have to know that once again I was unable to defend myself and this time it ended very badly. Lester tried to assure me that the guys didn't see it that way that yes, most of them knew generally what happened but that no one blamed me. Carlos too tried to make me understand that the guys were angry and that was what I was picking up on but that they weren't upset with me just furious at what had been done to me.

Tonight was the first time I was going to leave the building. The women's crisis center had a rape survivor group meeting tonight and I was going to go. Lula said that she used to go and it was really helpful to her. I was nervous to leave these secure walls; my hands were shaking so badly I worried I might be vibrating the entire building.

Ranger sat down next to me, his large hands engulfing mine. "Babe, are you sure ready for this?"

I nodded, "You'll be right outside the entire time right?"

"I promise, Lester's coming with us too." He kissed the back of my hand and gave me one of his reassuring smiles. "Proud of you, Babe."

Those words gave me a little shot of courage like they always have and I stood up ready to go. We met Lester in the garage. Ranger sat in the back seat with me as we drove to the center, holding my hand. His thumbs ran a path across my knuckles soothing me slightly.

Arriving at the center, Ranger got out and held his hand for me, patiently waiting until I got up the courage to step out onto the street. He walked me inside, my body as close to his as I could get without actually climbing onto him. Holding my hand in his firm but gentle grasp he gave me a brave smile as we stood outside the meeting room. He kissed my forehead, "I'll be right here, if you need me or change your mind just yell. Lester's outside; you're safe here." His eyes held mine as he talked and I tried to absorb some of his legendary control and strength.

I gave him a brave smile and for the first time since he got home I left his side and entered a room without knowing anyone else inside. I walked into the room and found a cozy arm chair in the circle set up for us. I curled my legs up underneath me and did my best to not break down into tears.

There were a few other women in the room, all of them looking as shell shocked as I felt. My heart broke for them knowing how torn up I was inside. I hated thinking there were so many of us suffering from this torment, so many of us that there was a need for a rape survivors group.

A woman who introduced herself as Yolanda called the group to order. She let us know she was the center's counselor and was here to help any of us at any time. She looked at me and asked me to introduce myself and give a bit of the story that brought me to the meeting. I was apparently the lone newbie to the group.

I sat on my hands trying to get a grip on the shaking. "I'm Stephanie. Um, a week ago a man broke into my apartment through my bedroom window and raped me." I heard a couple of gasps and looked up to see to women looking at me with a specific horror on their faces and holding hands. They were both brunettes and about my size, I guessed quickly that they were the first two victims.

The rest of the room introduced themselves and told me their stories briefly. I was correct in guessing that the other two brunettes were victims of the same man who attacked me. We spent our time talking about individual struggles and getting support.. I felt better knowing that everyone seemed to have similar struggles; I felt less like I was going crazy because of their words than when I'd entered the room. It was still an emotional meeting, I cried for almost the entire hour.

At the end of the meeting, I watched as the door opened and my heart soared at the sight of Carlos leaning against the wall just across the hall from our door. I knew how lucky I was to have him. The other two brunettes, Amanda and Candy, approached me. The three of us talked quietly for a bit. Amanda was living in a hotel currently, afraid to go back to her apartment. She didn't have anyone else local. Candy was staying with her parents and hating it, which I could understand completely, but afraid to be alone.

I quickly came up with a plan and asked them to wait for me for a minute while I talked to Ranger. He held his hand out to me when I came to the door. "Are you ok, Babe? You've been crying." His thumb caressed my cheek, his eyes obviously pained at my tears.

I nodded and leaned my face into his hand. "Are there any open apartments on four?"

"Yes, one." His eyebrows furrowed wondering what I as thinking.

"The other two women who were attacked by the man who raped me need a safe place to stay." I knew it was alot to ask, knew that I'd just met these women but we were bonded in a way that no one else would ever understand. "Maybe if we could all talk, share information in a place we knew was safe we could come up with some clues to get this guy."

I started to cry again thinking about someone else being hurt by this man. I hated that I couldn't provide more information about him so that he could be caught. Ranger's eyes flashed as he pulled me to his body and I knew that argument was more than enough to get his blessing on Amanda and Candy staying at RangeMan for a while.

"We're going to stop him, Stephanie." His voice was hard and I knew that he was working on finding my rapist harder the police. "They can come stay it's a one bedroom but I can have Luis put two twin beds in there if that's ok with them."

"Let me talk to them and I'll be back. Can you wait a little while longer?" I didn't want to be keeping him from work. I know he'd already been delaying things to stay close to me.

"I can wait all night, Babe." I kissed his hand still joined with mine before walking back to approach my new friends.

I explained the offer that they could share a one bedroom apartment in a building that was as secure as the White House. I let them know that they would be surrounded by large, scary men but that every guy in that building would treat them like porcelain and would keep them safe even if meant giving their own lives. The Merry Men didn't know these women but I knew them well enough to know that I was speaking the truth.

I asked for their help in pooling our knowledge with Ranger's expertise to stop the man who'd hurt us. When they agreed to move in and do their best to help us find our rapist I felt my heart grow a little lighter. I was sure for the first time since I was raped that I could indeed recover and I knew that these two women would be key to my success. I hoped that I would be able to help them too.

We went out in the hall together to find Ranger already on the phone with Luis making arrangements. Apparently he had faith in my powers of persuasion. Lester was inside as well. I introduced the girls to Les who had apparently already been briefed on the latest Bombshell scheme.

Bobby had been called in to help pick up luggage. We followed Candy and Amanda to help them get items from their various locations. The guys knew that the girls wouldn't be comfortable left alone with strange, large men. So I went with each of them while they packed and the guys carried items out to the SUVs. The depth of compassion and understanding in the Merry Men never ceased to amaze me. It was because they there with me that I didn't break down from the anxiety of being out in public.

Getting them back to Haywood, Amanda and Candy were given parking spaces next to the elevator so that they wouldn't be afraid of walking through the parking garage. Ranger explained to them that their key fob would only get them to the fourth floor and garage but that if they needed anything they could access the control room by phone at anytime. In my quest to help them and myself, I'd only thought about the building safe for them not the security breach it might be for RangeMan. As usual, Ranger had it all under control.

Bobby and Lester both gave the girls their direct lines and showed them where their apartments were just in case. Ranger asked me if it was ok to leave us alone while he had a quick meeting with the guys while I got them settled. I agreed and he promised to come get me before we went home to seven.

I wasn't surprised to see that Luis and Ella had the apartment all ready. There were indeed two twin beds fully outfitted with the heavenly sheets that I just knew the girls would love. I also knew that Ella would give them the kind of love that only she could, she'd already started by stocking the fridge with her delicious food.

Amanda and Candy seemed to be comfortable in the apartment, thanking me often. We agreed to meet tomorrow night after they finished work. I was impressed that they were working as I couldn't hardly do more than a few hours a day right now. They assured me that it took them a little while to get back in the swing of things but I was reminded once again how blessed I was to have Carlos' emotional and financial support.

Ranger came and got me a little while later. The knock on the door making all three of us jump. He made sure they were comfortable before taking my hand and leading me to the elevator.

When we got inside the penthouse, I kissed him gently not ready yet for heated passion. My body wanted his but my mind just couldn't comprehend that yet. "Thank you Carlos."

"For what, Babe?" His arms held my waist close to him.

"For everything, I don't take you or your support for granted. I hope you know that." I could feel tears wanting to spill again, my emotions were so over-the-map these days.

He kissed my nose. "Babe, I love you. You don't have to thank me."

We sat on the couch for a while, holding hands when it occurred to me that it was rare to have an evening meeting. "Is there some kind of emergency?"

"No, why?"

"It's rare that you have a night meeting."

"I met with all the guys who live on four and anyone else on staff who happened to be in the building tonight. I wanted everyone to be aware of our very special guests. It's unusual for them to have two women on four and I wanted them all to be on their very best behavior so as not to startle or frighten them." Ranger's hand tightened around mine as he let out a deep breath. "Babe, there was no way for me to keep the reason they were here completely secret."

"I understand, they all know what happened to us. It's ok." I kissed his knuckles.

"You're not mad?" He was searching my eyes trying to read my emotions.

"Most of them knew anyway, its better to just have it out in the open and I know them well enough to know that they aren't spreading lies or gossip about me to the 'Burg. Besides, I imagine you might need their help. You haven't mentioned it but I know you're searching for the man who did this to me." I gave him a brave smile before snuggling into his side.

He hugged me against his side. "You never disappoint. Proud of you, Babe."

He held me there until it was time for bed. He was washing up in the bathroom while I sat on the bed willing myself to not check the windows. Sensing my struggle, he knelt before me his fists resting on my knees. "We can check the windows, Steph."

I blinked and a tear streaked down my cheek. Carlos kissed it away tenderly as his fingers curled into my hair. "I just want to be whole again, not let fear of him hurting me again ruin every night with you."

"Steph, it's still very early and you've had a really big day. Our nights aren't ruined." His hands slid down my shoulders and arms grasping my hands. "Checking the windows is normal." He helped me stand up and I did the nightly window security check before snuggling up into him in bed.

My ear was pressed up against his naked chest listening to the steady beat of his heart lulling me to sleep. "Ranger am I still covered by RangeMan insurance?"

"Yes, why?"

"I'd like to start seeing Yolanda for a little extra counseling and continue going to the rape survivor's meeting."

"I think that's great, Babe. I'd pay for counseling even if you didn't have the insurance." His hand rubbed circles on my back.

"You're already supporting me and haven't asked for anything in return. I'll be sure to do some searches and other work to earn my keep. You shouldn't have to feel like my sugar daddy." I bit my lip embarrassed at my confession of feeling like I was using him.

Carlos pulled back, tilting my chin up to look into his eyes. "I don't see it that way and I never have. I love you and want to take care of you. Let me, please."

I nodded before resting my head against him once more. "I love you too." I fell asleep to the rhythm of his heart and the tingle of his fingers on my spine.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5 - Tank's POV**_

It'd been three weeks since Steph had been attacked. There hadn't been another reported attack despite the previous three being only two weeks apart. We assumed that this meant that either the victim didn't report it, which all too common in rape cases, or that the rapist left town. Neither of those options were particularly thrilling. We didn't want any other woman to be raped, but we were coming up with precious few clues to lead us to this monster.

I'd been staying at Lula's apartment the last few nights. She wanted to check-in with Steph each morning and was visiting with Steph, Candy, and Amanda each evening. It was easier this way for me to take her back and forth to Haywood. It also gave me the opportunity to watch over and support Lula.

Lula's been having a lot of nightmares since Stephanie's attack. I assumed that all her own painful memories were brought to the surface. Most people only got to see the brash, tough side of Lula but deep down she was a sensitive, loving woman who was obviously scarred from her troubled past. It broke my heart to see it, I tried to tell her that Steph and the girls would be okay without her daily visits if it was getting to be too much, but she insisted. She said it was because of Stephanie's love that she healed from what had been done to her and she wasn't going to pass on the opportunity to return that kindness.

We started dating a few years after Lula was attacked by Ramirez and for the most part I thought she had recovered from that brutal assault. I'm learning now that a woman learns to go on after such a thing but probably never fully recovers from that kind of violence. I was proud of her and more determined than ever to catch the man who'd attacked Steph. Ramirez was dead, I couldn't exact any revenge on Lula's behalf. I could, however; make sure that this serial rapist absorbed some of her anguish and some of the pain she was being forced to relive because of his attack on her best friend.

Steph, Amanda, and Candy met each night and talked about what had happened to them. Lula offered moral support and humor relief as they tried to figure out who had attacked them and put a stop to a serial rapist in Trenton. Their determination was inspiring. Not many people, women or men, could survive what they did and carry on with dogged determination to not only heal but also to stop a psycho from hurting anyone else. They spent an hour or two together four nights a week in the apartment on four or in Ranger's penthouse. None of us guys participated in the discussions, the girls felt better doing it alone.

Lula told me it wasn't because they were afraid of us so much as they didn't want their stories to upset us. At first, I didn't buy that excuse figuring that Candy and Amanda just didn't know us well enough to trust us but after seeing each them with red and puffy eyes after a session or two I could feel my anger welling up and I understood what Lula meant. Our rage at what happened to them would be too obvious and would get in the way of what they were trying to do through their own pain. We were doing our best to offer them a safe place without fear of anger or violence.

If anything remotely useful was discovered during their nightly talks Steph would fill Ranger in on the details. Lula often told me too but Steph had better instincts and was able to pull it together more succinctly for Ranger. It was in these sessions armed with copies of the crime scene reports from each of their cases that they discovered that the rapist had taken their panties.

Steph had noticed that her panties were missing from the evidence log, she asked Candy and Amanda if they had worn panties the night of their attack. Both had but neither had been logged by the crime scene technicians. We all knew that meant that the rapist had taken them as trophies. Because the girls had each been found at night no one asked them what they were wearing before the rapist attacked them, this was an oversight. The good news was that Steph had worn a pair of RangeMan embroidered panties, meaning the rapist couldn't deny where he'd gotten them. Ranger had Ella make them for Steph and Steph only. The idea of the asshole playing with their underwear made us all a little ill.

The girls also figured out that they lived within two miles of each other, something that eluded us, the cops, and the FBI. I assumed we were all so focused on catching the man that we forget to look for the details. It was obvious that there had been mistakes in the investigation, but that the girls were intent on taking care of finding their rapist on their own if necessary. Steph took their close proximity to each other to mean that their rapist probably lived within that same two mile radius.

It was that gigantic clue along with their vague descriptions and the FBI's criminal profile that brought us all into a conference room on five tonight. We were able to pull photos of all known criminals in the two mile radius. There were quite a few, sadly, and we couldn't be sure that this fucker was even in the system, though the FBI profiler thought for sure that the rapist would have a criminal history.

It was a little creepy sitting in a conference room with Steph, Amanda, and Candy. Steph was the only one with curly hair but their body shapes were identical as was their milky skin tone. The rapist definitely had a type. They were small women and undoubtedly he liked the power he could easily exert over them especially when they were sleeping. Unknowingly, I'm sure, he also picked strong, determined women who would bring about his downfall. These women might be afraid but they weren't cowering in a corner waiting for someone else to take care of this for them, they were active and efficient in their pursuit of justice on their own behalf.

Looking around the table, I noticed each woman was sitting next to her chosen hero. Lula by me, Steph with Ranger of course, Candy sandwiched between Lester and Amanda who was flanked by Bobby. Bobby and Lester were obviously protective in normal circumstances but Amanda and Candy hooked something else in both of them, though they tried to deny it. I knew they were good men and didn't want to take advantage of women who'd been so traumatized but it was obvious that something about their resiliency, their willingness to fight back despite being horribly violated pulled at Bobby and Lester's hearts.

Candy and Amanda too were growing closer to them, it was apparent to everyone that they sought out their chosen RangeMan when they needed comfort. Their understandable fear of all things men right now meant the relationships were timid and moving no faster than a snail could crawl, something that was new to both Bobby and Lester, but something in which was obviously good for everyone involved. Candy and Amanda were learning to trust men. Bobby and Lester were channeling their innate protectiveness into something with a woman that didn't resolve solely around sex.

Lula was squeezing my hand so tightly that I knew Steph was about to share something important with us. Steph looked at us, her eyes obviously red and tired from crying. "This is the man who raped me, Candy, and Amanda." The air in the room was suddenly charged as if lightning was going off around us. Steph passed around copies of a mug shot.

"We all recognized the mole on his neck below his ear, though none of us remembered it previously." Steph turned the photo in front of her over, obviously not wanting to look at it. I imagine she'd seen enough of him to last her for the rest of her days. The men in this room would make sure she would never have to see him again.

Ranger's jaw was pulsating as he struggled to keep his blank face on. I was fighting the grin that wanted to break out on my own face, this fucker was as good as dead now. Lester and Bobby were rolling their shoulders and necks gearing up for a fight.

"Babe, I trust you, you know that but I have to ask; are you sure?" Ranger held his hand in hers. I knew it pained him to ask, but he was right it did have to be asked.

She nodded, "We're sure. Talking to each other allowed us to remember things we hadn't before. I know it probably wouldn't hold up in court, they'd say we influenced each other, but can't you check his place for our panties as evidence?"

Sometimes Steph flew by the seat of her pants, other times she never ceased to amaze me with her attention to detail. It was easy to see why Ranger found her so irresistible. Ranger nodded and squeezed her hand. I could see his mind already working on a plan.

"Will you call the police and give them this as a possible lead?" Candy's eyes bounced from Lester to Steph and Ranger. She didn't truly know what we were capable of or what we had planned and no one was going to inform her tonight. There was no reason for her to know, for any the women in this room to know. Lula and Steph had an inkling of what we could do, but even they didn't know the full extent of our capabilities and anger.

Lester took her hand, his eyes holding her gaze. "We're going to take care of this in house for now."

Candy and Amanda wore matching confused eyes for just a second before a hint of realization and acceptance flashed on their faces.

Ranger leaned forward in his chair. He held Steph's hand while he rested his forearm on the table before making eye contact with me. "Ladies, we need some time to plan and then we're going to go have a look. Why don't you go upstairs to my penthouse, I'll have Ella bring you some dessert. When we're done I promise we'll fill you in."

Steph and Lula would both normally be pissed at being asked to leave and would let us have it. Tonight, however; they both obviously knew they'd lose the fight or they truly didn't want to know what we were planning because they simply nodded and stood up. Candy and Amanda followed them out closing the door behind them.

Ranger was on the phone immediately. Steph had already pulled all the information she could from her searches and left that information for us in a folder on the table. Steph was always very thorough when it came to searches and this time was no different. Jason DuPont was a thirty-five year old convicted thief and peeping Tom. Ranger was already sending men over to his apartment and sending his photo to the phone of everyone on staff.

"I want him alive." Ranger gritted out before he hung up. The pleasure of killing him would be Ranger's and there was no doubt in any of our minds that it would be pleasure for Ranger. The agonizing torture of Jason DuPont would belong to all of us, however; and we would enjoy that immensely.

Lester and Bobby were clenching and stretching their fists their grins frightening and haunting. The trained killer, the soulless torturer in each of us was awakening. There would be no bottling up of this side of us until our thirst for revenge was quenched. We'd been able to keep a lid on the beasts inside of us in order to focus on finding the creep, obviously we didn't do a good enough job because the girls had done it all. We wouldn't let them down now by letting the animal go free.

Ranger made eye contact with each of us, "Let's go." We were already dressed, our weapons at the ready there wasn't much else in the way of planning that needed discussed for this operation. It needed to be quiet we couldn't be seen but we already knew how to do that effortlessly.

In the garage Ranger called the control room letting him know the women were in his apartment and not to leave without guards. It wasn't that the order needed to be repeated to the men, it was that Ranger needed to say it for his own peace of mind. Even Lula wasn't doing much on her own these days, the four of them were sharing too much fear and anxiety to be alone in public just yet.

Hector was already at Jason DuPont's apartment. He was filling us in as we drove, no sign of DuPont but Hector had found a glass cutter that could have been used to cut into his victims' windows. Hector didn't know about the panties, Ranger wanted to look for those himself.

There was nothing obviously sinister about DuPont's apartment. It was average except for the gym bag in the entryway closet full of gloves, a glass cutter, rope, and condoms. His brutalization of women kit. The sight of that bag and its contents ratcheted up the level of anger among us instantly.

Ranger found a lock box under the bastard's bed with a simple lock. We were inside it in less than 10 seconds. Steph's RangeMan panties were on top causing a growl like I've never heard to escape Ranger's throat. He closed the lid and handed Lester the box, "We're keeping that. I want this bastard found."

Ranger quickly pulled together various teams to search for Jason DuPont. Hector and Ram would be staying in the apartment in case he came home. DuPont's other known associates and work address would be shadowed by our staff until someone could spot him alone and take him without any connection to us. This guy was as good as dead but he didn't know it yet.

Back at Haywood we found Lula, Steph, Candy, and Amanda sound asleep in Ranger's living room. An plate covered with cookie crumbs surrounded by empty glasses on the coffee table. They looked so peaceful, so innocent that it should have calmed me, instead it only renewed my anger for the people who had taken those qualities from their waking hours. Tonight Lula could stay with me downstairs, it was apparent that neither one of us were ready to be out of the other's sight for a while.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note / Disclaimer:** Still don't own anything and am doing it all for free. I do appreciate all of the reviews and messages, thanks for your support in this story._

_**Chapter 6 - Ranger's POV**_

Steph and the rest of the ladies looked so peaceful sleeping in my living room. I hated to wake them. Steph didn't take well to being startled in the middle of the night, I imagined neither did Candy and Amanda. It was understandable; after all they'd been terrorized by a maniac after being awoken from a dead sleep just a few weeks earlier.

Tank was approaching Lula who was next to Steph on the couch. Bobby and Lester were frozen in place, they were both growing closer to Candy and Amanda but it was obvious that they didn't feel like they could wake them up without causing some level of fear in the girls that they'd rather avoid. "I'll get Steph and she can wake up Candy and Amanda." Bobby and Lester smiled and sighed in relief.

Tank was whispering to Lula who was starting to come around as I knelt in front of Steph, my hands rubbing her arms. I placed a kiss on her cheek, "Babe, wake up." She moved and stretched but didn't open her eyes. "Babe." I said a little louder hoping to get through her sleep and reassure her that it was just me.

Her eyes opened wide quickly but she didn't yell or scream. Her breathing was shallow and rapid and despite my best efforts I knew that I had scared her slightly. "Carlos?"

"Yes, it's just me Babe." I gave her a small grin and helped her sit upright. Lula was awake and standing next to Tank. He had his arm around her and lifted his chin at me as he led her to the door.

The bit of noise created by us waking up Steph and Lula was enough to rouse Candy and Amanda who were snuggled together on a small loveseat. Their eyes were confused as they looked around but they didn't seem overtly frightened. They both gave sleepy smiles when Lester and Bobby came into their field of view.

Bobby reached out a hand to Amanda who gladly took it. He helped her stand, "I'll walk you to your apartment." She gave him a small nod as Lester reached for Candy. My men left with tiny nods to me, their hands entwined with the girls.

When I first saw how close Bobby and Lester were getting to them, I almost gave them some words of warning. They were the best of men but I didn't want anyone hurting those girls who had become so important to my Babe and who had already been through so much on their own. I bit my tongue, however; and I'm glad I did because I like what I see. Bobby and Lester are able to provide comfort and safety to two women who obviously need it. Candy and Amanda provide them with an outlet to let their tender sides show. It's not easy for us to do that, but I also know how freeing it was for me when Steph brought that into my life and I wanted that for my friends.

I had pulled Steph into my side on the couch, her knees pulled up to her chest. When the door closed behind Bobby and Lester on the way out, she looked up at me. Her eyes were bright and curious. "Did you find him?"

My arms tightened around her. "He wasn't there but we found a box of panties under his bed. Yours were in it." She exhaled and moved her body closer to mine. "Proud of you Babe, of all of you. It was because of your talks with each other that we got this far." The truth in that didn't escape me, they had done all the work up until now, it was my responsibility to make sure that they never had to fear Jason DuPont again.

"What now?" Her voice was soft as her hand traced circles on my forearm.

I trusted Steph and knew that I could tell her the truth but I didn't want her or any of the girls to carry the burden of just what we were going to do when we got our hands on their rapist. "I have teams stationed at his apartment and a few other places. We'll pick him up eventually and then can you trust me to deal with him so that you never have to worry about him again?"

"Of course, I trust you Carlos. But I hate when you have to do something drastic to protect me." She pulled back and looked into my eyes. I could see the war raging there and knew that part of her would be happy that her rapist was dead but also knew that her heart was too tender, too pure to allow that thought much room. "We can call the police. I don't want you to get into any trouble."

I wanted to tell her that I wasn't doing anything drastic, that I was going to deal out my own form of justice and that I would enjoy every single second of it, but I didn't. "Babe, there's no reason for any of you to have to face him at trial. We'll take care of it and we won't get into any trouble."

Only my most trusted team members were in on the full details of what we were doing. Everyone on staff had been given a photo of Jason DuPont but only a select few knew exactly why we were looking for him and what would happen once we got him. These were men who would have no problem keeping the details classified and no qualms about making DuPont disappear.

I could tell that Steph wanted to put up more of a fight, wanted to argue with me more, but eventually she relaxed her shoulders and simply nodded. I kissed her forehead wrapping my arms around her and pulled her into my lap.

Steph had made great strides in the last few weeks, counseling, group therapy, and working with Candy, Amanda, and Lula had done wonders for her emotional recovery. The window checking was getting less frequent, usually only when she woke from a bad dream now. She didn't jump every time I touched her and was beginning to spend some time alone working in her cubicle during the week. She still didn't leave the building much and never alone when she did. I was more than ok with that and would be quite content with making sure she had a bodyguard with her every time she left this building forever.

"I love you, Stephanie." We didn't use the words much but it was no less true and right now I needed to make sure she heard it as well as felt it.

I felt her smile against my chest and sigh in contentment. "I love you, too." She placed a gentle kiss on my neck.

Physical intimacy was moving slow as I expected. I gave all control of that aspect of our relationship to Steph right now. I was positive that she knew that I would never force her, but I wanted to make sure that she felt no pressure from me either so I let her make all the moves and followed her lead.

She yawned and I moved to pick her up and carry her into bed. It wasn't necessary, of course, but I did love the feel of her in my arms and could tell by the way she wrapped her arms around my neck that she enjoyed it too. It was a small gesture of love and security but our relationship was made up of small and quiet moments that constantly expanded my soul.

We quickly changed and slipped under the covers together. Steph snuggled into my chest, her hand across my heart. A few minutes later she moved, raising herself up, her face hovering just inches above mine. Tentatively she leaned forward, her lips gently touching mine. My hands cupped her cheeks, my fingers curled into her hair. We kissed slowly while I fought the urge to roll her over, pin her beneath me, and claim her body. I knew it was too early that the motion would only frighten her but my desire for her and to remove all memories of what DuPont had done to her with my body on hers was extremely powerful.

She pulled back from the kiss her gaze holding mine. "I want you Carlos, but I'm just not ready yet. I'm working on it. I know you're not him, that you'd never hurt me but I still can't wrap my mind around sex just yet. I've been talking to Yolanda about it. She tells me its normal, that it'll take time." She blushed before her eyes looked down.

"Babe, there's no rush. I'm not going anywhere, we have lots of days." I nipped her nose playfully making her giggle before she snuggled back into my chest. We fell asleep wrapped tightly around each other.

We were woken up several hours later by my ringing cell phone. Steph mumbled but rolled over as I got up to answer it walking into the living room. "Yo."

Hector was on the other end of the line speaking rapidly in Spanish. He and Ram had picked up DuPont when he came home an hour ago. They had him in a holding cell downstairs. I told him to call Tank, Lester, and Bobby. I didn't want to leave Steph alone too long at night, but I was going to introduce myself to Jason DuPont before letting the rest of the team go at him. I'd take my time with him tomorrow.

I got dressed quietly before kneeling down next to Steph's beautiful face. She was awake, watching me but her eyes were heavy with exhaustion. "I need to go downstairs for a bit, Babe. I won't be long. I hate to leave you alone at night but I promise you're safe and I'll be back in less than 20 minutes."

Her eyes explored my face, boring into my eyes and soul. She was able to read between the lines; there were never any secrets between us. She nodded and kissed my lips, her fingers caressing my cheeks. "Thank you Carlos."

Steph knew what I was going to do and she absolved me of the horrendous act that I know I should be ashamed of but of which I only felt satisfaction. "Te amo, querida." My hand ran through her hair as I kissed her forehead goodbye. I set the alarm on my watch for 20 minutes, so that I didn't get distracted and I did get back to her quickly. I hated the idea of a bad dream waking her while she was alone.

Hector was standing outside the holding cell when I arrived. An expression of glee like I've rarely seen on his face, his eyes glazed. "Ram's inside with him right now. Tank, Bobby, and Lester are on their way." His Spanish was barely a whisper, his voice venomous as he spoke.

I opened the door to see Ram landing a blow into Jason DuPont's kidney. He pulled back again but stopped, letting DuPont fall to the floor when he heard me enter. I nodded at Ram before letting my eyes take in the man who'd raped and terrorized the love of my life. DuPont outweighed all of the girls by at least 50 pounds probably more and they would have barely been able to defend themselves against him when they were fully awake let alone asleep.

Hector and Ram had already gotten in more than a few shots. I could see DuPont's lips were bleeding, his breath was ragged and his eyes were already swelling shut. Despite the swelling I could see fear in his eyes and that made me chuckle a bit, knowing that this was only the beginning of his end.

I started to approach, a definite sneer breaking out across my face. The door opened and in walked my core team. Ram left with a nod to each of us closing the door behind him. I knelt in front of our prisoner, my control slipping with each passing second. Grabbing his shirt I pulled his face to within inches of mine, "You only have a few hours to live and they are going to be full of pain and fear." My voice was hard and cold, a tone that I recognized as my mission voice; one I rarely used. "I have your panty collection." His eyes widened at that. "You will never hurt another woman again, and we're going to make sure that during these last few hours you understand just exactly how you've made those women you have hurt feel."

With those words, I snapped. All the rage and anger that I'd been holding inside while I tried to comfort Steph these last few weeks came roaring out. I choked and punched yelling at him, the words not truly making any sense. Images of Steph's bruised body, moments of her nightmares, the checking of the windows, her fear-filled eyes raced through my mind as my hands connected repeatedly with his body. His groans and cries of pain only fueled my rage to continue.

The alarm on my watch went off breaking me free from my trance. I looked at my core team and could see the beasts within each of them at the surface. "I need to get back. Keep him alive, otherwise I don't care what you do to him. I'll clean the mess up tomorrow."

I heard them growl and a few groans of pain before I closed the door on my way back up to seven. They would make him scream and I knew that by time I came back down here tomorrow, DuPont would be begging for death. I would gladly give it to him and wipe all traces of him from the earth.

Steph had fallen back asleep by the time I got back upstairs. I was glad to see that, glad to know that she wasn't up here frightened and alone. I washed up my bloodied hands and cleaned my face trying to rein in the beast that had come loose downstairs. Looking in the mirror, I realized that I was calmer than I had been since I left for my mission.

I spooned my front against Steph's back, wrapping my arm around her waist and holding her close. She sighed and whispered, "Is he dead?"

"Yes." He was as good as dead at this point so it wasn't a lie.

She exhaled and her entire body heaved as if it was getting rid of a heavy weight. "I'm sorry that you had to do that for me and I hate to admit it but I'm glad that you did."

"There's nothing I won't do to keep you safe, Babe." She snuggled deeper into my arms and I held her there silently vowing that she would never again be anything less than safe.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Chapter 7 - Steph's POV**_

It had been a week since Carlos told me that Jason DuPont was dead. Two days later Hector came into the penthouse late at night speaking rapidly in Spanish as Ranger listened. They left and didn't come back for many hours. Apparently DuPont's car blew up while he was being chased by Hector and Ranger. Ranger told the cops that DuPont was suspected as the serial rapist and was trying to evade being captured by RangeMan. The cops found DuPont's panty collection and released Ranger and Hector with no further questioning. DuPont's body was burned beyond recognition in the explosion and I'm sure the cops and the medical examiner didn't look too hard for other causes of death.

The case was closed and I along with Candy and Amanda breathed a huge sigh of relief. Candy and Amanda were given the same version as the police were and for that matter so was I. I just knew Ranger and his Merry Men well enough to read between the lines of what really happened. I figured Carl and Big Dog knew the truth but looked the other way wishing they could have helped in DuPont's demise. Carlos would have told me the truth if I'd asked for it, but he'd asked me to trust him to handle it and I knew that meant he didn't want me to ask. It wasn't easy for me to honor that, my normal curiosity nagged at me but I let it alone because of his love for me and all that he was willing to do for me.

Candy and Amanda volunteered to move out of the apartment on four yesterday, much to the chagrin of Bobby and Lester. Ranger, as usual, was one step ahead. He told them it would be their choice of course, but offered to hire them as RangeMan employees and stated that an apartment was an employee perk. Ranger and the rest of the Merry Men for that matter were impressed with the information Amanda, Candy and I were able to pull together about our rapist and offered them jobs helping with searches, bookkeeping, and other administrative jobs around the office. The guys would all appreciate the help with paperwork and the front desk duty.

The girls accepted and I was beyond ecstatic to know that I wouldn't be the only woman working on five from now on. They had given their current employers notice and would officially start at RangeMan in three weeks. They were however already getting a lay of the land from Bobby and Lester and even helping out with some basic stuff like filing and getting acquainted with the rest of the Merry Men. Candy and Amanda didn't stray too far from each other or Bobby and Lester, which seemed to make the guys as happy as it made the girls feel safe.

It may seem weird that the three of us would grow so close, a person on the outside could easily think that we would only remind each other of what had happened to us. In reality, we were bonded in a way that no one else could understand and it was because of what we mutually experienced along with Lula's unwavering support and sense of humor that was allowing us to heal. I'm not sure I would be doing as well as I was without them and I'm quite positive our rapist might not have been caught for a long time and after many more victims without our work in making it happen.

Lula's unconditional love for me that was extended so easily to Candy and Amanda was a rock in my life; a rock that gave me stability unlike anything or anyone else could give. It was because of her that I went to that first group session that eventually led to the capture of our rapist. Lula continued to prove what I already knew, there was so much more to her than met the eye.

Tank already knew that about Lula but it was obvious that he was seeing more of it now. The two of them were growing closer. Bobby and Amanda as well as Candy and Lester too were forming deep bonds. As much as I hated that we all had to suffer through this ordeal, I liked knowing that something good was coming from it. Ranger and his core team were supremely protective and possessive men but deeper than that were tender, loving souls that craved someone to shower with affection.

I'd been on the receiving end of Ranger's affection for years but it had changed, grown deeper after we declared our love for one another. His devotion was bottomless as was his patience. His control and patience were the stuff of legends after all; but it was so much more than even I had anticipated. He's never once gotten short or irritated with me and the emotional gamut I've been running in the last month. It's always me who's irritated with my slow, but apparently normal, pace of healing.

We were driving over to my apartment. My apartment that wasn't going to be mine much longer. Carlos had wanted me to move in with him before he left for his mission and that desire had only gotten stronger in him. I didn't want to leave his side either, the penthouse on seven had become our home and I was content there. He'd paid rent for my apartment through the end of this month and given notice that it would be vacant after that.

I hadn't been back since the rape. The guys had done a terrible job at packing clothes for me but Ella took care of getting me new RangeMan uniforms and other things as I needed them. I just couldn't bare coming into the apartment until today. Even now I wasn't sure if I could go in and pack up the few items I did want. Carlos had told me that Luis and Ella could handle packing everything up and donating the furniture, that I could go through the boxes when I was ready but I needed to do the packing myself. I talked to my counselor about it and she agreed that it would be tough but cathartic for me to go back to the apartment. She also told me not to stay any longer than necessary and under no circumstances should I go alone.

Alone was something I still couldn't do at all. The few times I was alone it was in the apartment on seven which isn't really alone; after all superheroes were only a few flights down if I needed them. I had been able to go out of Haywood a few times without Ranger, to my parents or counseling, but not without a Merry Man along for the ride. Usually it was Hector or Ram that came along on Bombshell Duty. I've learned that Hector and Ram had a great deal to do with catching my rapist though it hasn't been openly discussed. I don't know what to say to them about it, but I do like being in their company and I try to make sure they know how much I appreciate all they've done for me.

We were standing in front of my apartment door, my hand shaking so badly that I couldn't get the key into the lock. Carlos reached out and took the rattling keys from my hand, "You're safe, Babe. I won't let anyone hurt you." He put the key in the lock and opened the door, holding his hand out to me. "We don't have to stay any longer than you want. Say the word and we'll leave and have Ella and Luis take care of the rest."

I nodded and took a deep breath before slipping my hand into his. He gave me a gentle squeeze but didn't tug on my hand, just waited for me to cross the threshold on my own. Walking inside I found myself incredibly tense and on the verge of tears despite not having any fall in a little while because of what had been done to me. Boxes were already scattered throughout the living room and kitchen, Luis had dropped them off earlier with tape and packing materials.

"What do you want to tackle first?" Carlos lifted my hand kissing my knuckles allowing me a to relax a little, not grip him as if I was drowning.

"All the stuff in the bathroom can be tossed or donated. I don't need towels or anything else in there at your apartment."

"Our apartment." He interrupted.

"Right, our apartment." I smiled. "I think I'll leave that for Ella and Luis. I don't need anything from the kitchen either since Ella takes care of all that. Mostly just some clothes, shoes, and photo albums, all that is in the bedroom." Just saying the word bedroom, the room in which my life was drastically altered, caused a few tears to slip down my cheeks.

Carlos moved to stand in front of me, his thumbs wiping away the tears but said nothing. I knew he was waiting for me to tell him what to do. I took a deep breath and let it out through pursed lips. Standing at my bedroom door, I noticed that the bed was already gone. I knew the police had taken the linens but was surprised to see the mattress and frame gone. My shock was obviously evident to Carlos, "I had Luis trash it. I didn't think you or I needed to see your bed." He pressed his lips together and I was reminded that the memory of what happened to me was hard for him too.

I just nodded, I couldn't find any words at the moment. I moved to the closet and started packing up my clothes and shoes throwing them into the boxes. Carlos would label and seal the boxes for me. Luis would come by later and deliver them back to Haywood.

Walking to the dresser to grab clothes and a few mementos tucked in the drawers my eye caught the plywood covered window. The window were Jason DuPont had so easily broken in and taken a part of me. The sight of that wood covering the hole in the glass hooked a piece of anger that I wasn't aware I was holding onto until that moment.

Suddenly that anger came spilling out of me. I paced and ranted, the words not completely making sense to me as I heard them leave my lips but the uttering of them free-form from my mind provided relief I didn't know I needed. Carlos just stood back and watched giving me the space I needed to move and cry. He had slipped his blank face on, no doubt my words, my reaction hurting him in some way. It grieved me to know that he was experiencing some emotional pain too but at the moment I couldn't focus on anything but unleashing what was pushing to come out. He didn't try to stop me or comfort me, knowing that this was exactly what I needed to do at the moment.

When I said everything that I had been holding onto, when all the anger left me. I slid my back down the wall and hung my head into my hands. Carlos sat down next to me, his arm slung across my shoulders. "Feel better?"

"Much. I didn't know I was holding all that in." I kissed his cheek. "Thank you for everything." I made sure to hold his gaze wanting him to know again that I was thanking him for doing the ugly things he did to take care of me. I knew that the burden he carried wasn't a light one but he never complained and I loved him all the more for it.

He nipped my nose and gave me a smile, "Babe, you've given me so much. You never have to thank me for loving you."

"I'm sure this has been hard on you too but you haven't talked about it at all." I watched him wanting to see some kind of reaction, wanted to know how he was dealing with everything.

His eyes were sad, the blank face completely gone. "I hate what happened to you, hate that I wasn't here to keep you safe. But I'm so proud of you, too." He gave me a 200 watt smile before his face changed and rage danced across it. "I've dealt with you rape and rapist in the only way I know how and I feel content with that. I'll feel much better when my Babe, the one who likes to fly, is back to her old self."

"I'm getting there, thanks to your boundless love and support." I kissed his lips wanting to show him some passion, express my devotion to him. His mouth opened when my tongue traced his lips, he gave me a second to get comfortable with this deeper physical connection before his tongue dueled with mine, his hands cupping my cheeks.

He pulled back to rest his forehead on mine, both of us breathless. "I love you, Stephanie."

I hugged him, wanting to feel him tight in my arms and be tight against his chest. "I love you." Sitting there in his arms, I believed for the first time since the attack that I would fly again.

We finished the rest of the packing without any other breakdowns. Ranger convinced me to to through all the cabinets and drawers just to make sure there was nothing else I wanted. We carried a few boxes down to the car, leaving the rest for Luis to bring back later. Carlos turned the engine of the Explorer over and looked at me before pulling out of the parking lot. "Sad to see your apartment go, Babe?"

"No," I replied honestly. "Even if he hadn't raped me there. It's no longer home. My home is with you now, there's no where else I'd rather be." I wouldn't have gone back to that apartment after what had happened there but even if it hadn't now that Ranger was home, I didn't want to be apart from him.

"Pino's for lunch?" He raised an eyebrow at me. We hadn't eaten out, hadn't gone out besides to counseling and my parents since the attack. I was nervous about being around people still, but today seemed like a good day to get reacquainted with the outside world.

"Only if I don't have to eat a salad." I reached for his hand and smiled. He chuckled, keeping my hand in his lap as he drove.

We were about halfway through our food when I started to panic. I was doing pretty well but the restaurant was getting more crowded and I was getting more nervous. I was trying to hold it in, trying to put a brave face but Ranger's ESP was in full working order because he moved to sit beside me instead of across from me in the booth.

He kissed my cheek, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. "Babe, I promise no one will hurt you."

I shook my head trying to drive back the forming tears and looked out the window before facing him again. "I know, I'm sorry I guess I'm still nervous."

"It's been a big day. I should have probably taken you straight home. We can pack up the rest of your sub and go." He pulled me closer to him, my shaking hands resting on his thigh.

"I didn't mean to ruin our little afternoon date."

"You didn't ruin anything. Any time we spend together is a delight, nothing less." He signaled our waitress who brought a box and packed up our leftovers. Ranger quickly paid and led me out to the car. He buckled my seat belt because my hands were shaking so bad I couldn't do it myself. "It'll get better, Babe. You're doing great."

Driving home I realized I was going to have to work harder at being around strangers. I'd been living the last month in the very safe RangeMan bubble where I had very little to stress me out. If I was going to truly recover, I was going to have to learn how to deal with strangers and crowds again. I tucked that tidbit away knowing I could get Yolanda to help me in my next counseling session.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Chapter 8 - Tank's POV**_

My eyes were beginning to cross from the amount of paperwork I was reviewing. Having Candy, Amanda, and Steph around was helping us stay organized and it was garnering us new clients faster than any of us expected. With all that good came paperwork that needed review and approval. The gals did a great job at touting our abilities and skills but once the contract was drawn up it was up to Ranger and I to make sure the plans were feasible and up to the very high standards we demanded that we provide. They did a great job overall, but occasional tweaks were needed.

There was a knock at the door and I wasn't sure if I should be annoyed at the interruption or grateful for the break, "Enter."

"You sound so gruff when you do that, but I know better." Steph stood smiling at doorway.

I was always grateful for the interruptions and breaks she brought into my life. Steph and I had been friends for a while now but we were infinitely closer since her rape three months ago. It wasn't that she called on me for help that brought us closer, it was how she rose from that tragedy and not only healed herself but garnered new friends and teammates who allowed us to put an end to her rapist at the same time while including me in all those miracles that had sealed our fate as best buddies.

"Come in here, Little Girl." I moved to sit on the couch wanting her to join me.

She sat down, her knee touching mine, and took my hand into both of hers. "I have an idea I'd like to run by you." I raised an eyebrow at her wondering what kind of scheme she'd come up with now. She laughed, "I promise it's very mild on the Bombshell scale of crazy."

"Anything you know that. Tell me, what's up?" I watched her carefully trying to deciph er her mood, hoping that nothing was wrong.

"How would you feel about giving some basic self-defense courses down at the Women's Crisis Center?" She was chewing on her bottom lip letting me know that there was more to this request than met the eye.

"Sure, I can do that. Binkie might be better at that though." I took a deep breath, "Steph, sometimes there's no defense. I know that probably isn't what you want to hear, but sometimes there's no way to defend yourself against an attack no matter how well-trained. Trying to fight your way out of something that you can't is only likely to get a person hurt worse or killed."

"I can't help thinking that if I had taken you all up on the training that you offered to me repeatedly that this wouldn't have happened. I should have been able to stop him." Tears were welling up in her eyes.

I pulled her into a hug and kissed her forehead. "Steph, you were attacked by someone who was bigger and stronger while you slept. There's no way to defend yourself in a situation like that."

She pulled back from my embrace and looked me square in the eyes. "You could have. Ranger could have." She was defiant as she tried to bait me. I knew it wasn't intentional she wasn't truly trying to fight with me right now, she was just trying to process everything and heal a little bit more.

"Maybe, but probably not if the person was bigger and stronger. There's just not many people bigger or stronger than us most of the time. We've both had our asses kicked don't ever think we're invincible." Steph was dealing with a lot of self-blame and guilt over what happened to her. I suppose some was normal but with Steph, she took everything personally even when she said 'it wasn't her fault.' "Little Girl, it wasn't your fault. There was nothing you could have done to prevent it. I'm so sorry it happened but you can't blame yourself."

A tear slid down her cheek as she looked at me. She nodded, "I know you're right and I think I'm doing better most of the time. Some days are still tough, even three months later."

Part of me wishes that we'd kept her rapist alive and in a holding cell for days like this. I'd like nothing more than to beat on him every time she had a bad day. Killing him gave him an easy way out, she was still tortured by the memories he'd imprinted on her and most likely would be for the rest of her life. Steph was resilient, but the rape brought about some changes in her that I could tell wouldn't be leaving any time soon. "You're doing great, Little Girl. It's going to take time."

She kissed the knuckles of my hand that was firmly gripped in hers. "I know you're right. Patience has never been my strong suit." She chuckled.

"Have you talked to Ranger about this class idea?"

"No, I wanted to see if was feasible from you first. Ranger spoils me, he'd do it or have it done by someone one staff if I asked but I wanted to make sure it was doable from a staffing standpoint without forcing someone else into it simply because Ranger said so." She smiled. She was right, of course, Ranger didn't deny her anything mainly because she never asked for much and when she did he fell over himself trying to make it perfect, grateful for the opportunity to do something for her. "I take so much from him, from all of you and it doesn't seem like I give back very often."

"That's crap, Stephanie." I was a bit more forceful than was probably necessary but I hated when she didn't give herself enough credit. "You do more than enough and none of us, Ranger most especially, would have it any differently. As for staffing, I imagine we don't have to worry about it. If we present the idea most of the guys will volunteer on their off to time to do it." I gave her hand a squeeze when her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "None of us like the idea of a woman being victimized and if we can help in anyway, we'll do it." I clarified for her. "I'll talk to Binkie because I know he's down this kind of thing before and we'll come up with some kind of schedule and basic classes to present to Ranger."

She leaned over and gave me a big hug before kissing my cheek. "You're the best, Tank. I honestly don't know how I'd have gotten through all of this without you and Lula." I squeezed her a bit tighter hoping to convey just how much she meant to me. Her faith in me, in all of us was something that constantly lit up my heart.

After she left, I called Binkie into my office and we talked for a long while. As I suspected he was on board immediately and volunteered to do it on his own time. We laid out a rough schedule of classes and what they would cover. Binkie could easily teach them and with this boyish face could do so without intimidating the women who'd be taking the classes. He suggested Ram and Lester for some of the more advanced classes if the center wanted that.

When we were done I realized that we didn't even need Ranger's approval but knew that he'd want to be in on the deal. It'd be good publicity for RangeMan too, although that wasn't a goal for these classes. I knew Ranger would pay for publicity to get as many women involved in the classes as possible.

I found him in his office; his head bent over a stack of papers, resting it inhis hands. As I entered he looked up at me and I recognized relief at the interruption to the paperwork that ran across his face. "The girls seem to be better at getting potential clients to sign contracts than we ever were. I'm letting myself believe that it's because they're better looking not more convincing than you or I." He chuckled at the admission knowing that the full truth was that the girls were just simply better with people than we would ever be.

"Steph came to me with an idea for running self-defense classes at the crisis center." I watched him and saw shock register before his patented blank face slammed on. I knew he would be slightly taken back at the fact that she came to me first. "She didn't want you to say yes just because she asked, she knew I was just slightly less of a pushover than you were." I gave him a smile and he laughed his body visibly relaxing.

"I'm probably smothering her these days. I know she's doing great, making huge strides in her own healing, but I'm still having a hard time letting her out of my sight." He frowned, his own guilt clearly displayed. "I'm assuming you told her yes."

I laughed, "Yeah, but I had a talk with Binkie and together we laid out a plan. Binkie will be good at it. We just need to lay out a schedule with the center."

We discussed the plan and with a few tweaks Ranger was on board. He did want to pay for advertising and offered other funds for anything the center felt necessary including mats or other equipment. As usual, he was pleased with Steph and her selfless ideas. His eyes wandered for a minute and I could tell he was deep in thought about his Babe before he focused on me again, "Lester picked the movie for tonight, I'm assuming you and Lula will be there."

"Of course." Tonight was movie night, every Thursday night had been for the last six weeks. We fell into it rather by accident but it seemed that we all enjoyed it. I didn't think I'd ever see the day where the four of us core team members would have seemingly stable girlfriends and could enjoy something so incredibly ordinary. It's a far cry from our days of one-night stands with bimbos while swearing that we'd never settle down.

We all met at Ranger's penthouse, ate pizza, drank beer, and watched a movie. Even Ranger took a night to enjoy some junk food and beer. It was a nice way for us all to unwind. The movie nights also gave us a way to get to know each other outside of the recent violence in Candy, Amanda, and Steph's lives.

Movie nights also gave Lula and I chance to just be with friends without worrying about trying to keep to ourselves. We tended to attract attention when we went out in public without really trying. Lula's outfits and our size meant that people just looked no matter how quiet or private we were trying to be.

I picked Lula up from the Bond's office and stopped for beer before going to Ranger's penthouse. The additional great thing about meeting inside Ranger's place was that we could all let our guard down, there was no need to be aware of our surroundings there. We arrived last tonight and noticed everyone was already in their usual positions; Steph sat on the floor between Ranger's legs while he sat in the chair, Bobby and Lester sat on the couch with their gals next to them on the floor, leaving the love seat for Lula and I to snuggle on. It was comfortable; we were comfortable.

It was interesting for me to watch the progression of healing for each of the girls through these weekly movie nights. I could see when they got more comfortable and relaxed with physical touching and I noticed when Bobby and Lester felt more confident in touching Amanda and Candy. Steph and Ranger were always so close, but it was even obvious that things were progressing for the two of them as well. They were getting back to their white hot level of passion that existed before the attack.

Lester had chosen _Key Largo _for tonight's movie. He was a huge Humphrey Bogart fan and seemed to know every line from every movie the guy made. It was funny to watch and it impressed Candy; so it gave him even more reason to pick the black and white romantic films.

As was typical for our movie nights, we ate and drank while the movie ran and chatted briefly afterwards. We weren't a talkative group or rather us guys weren't talkative and the gals got their talking done at other times. When it was time to leave, the aura of contentment could almost be seen. It was something that was missing from my life, from all of our lives for far too long.

Giving Steph a hug good-bye she thanked me saying that Ranger had given her the run down on the self-defense class. She kissed my cheek with a twinkle to her eye that I was glad to see returning. Knowing that twinkle was returning gave me hope for her and the rest of us as we navigated the waters of her healing.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Chapter 9 - Ranger's POV**_

I was helping Binkie clean up after tonight's self-defense class at the crisis center. The classes

were so popular and well-received that we had to add several classes. Binkie and Ram ran the classes on their own time, but RangeMan was going to give them a bonus whether or not they wanted it. I could easily justify it as a business expense, their goodwill was giving the company plenty of good publicity. They were doing a superb job, too and deserved something in recognition of that work.

We were putting the mats away and I watched Steph out of the corner of my eye. She was talking to a few of the young women I'd recognized as women who'd also been to her rape survivors' meeting. Steph had always been resilient , always bounced back from situations that would leave lesser men and women whimpering shells, but this most recent recovery was awe-inspiring even to me who knew her best of all. She'd not only survived a brutal attack, but caught her rapist with the help of other victims and best friends, and now was trying to counsel other rape victims while trying to prevent other women from ever becoming victims. I was never more proud of her.

It'd been five months since she was raped and if you didn't know her before the attack you wouldn't know that anything had happened to her. She hadn't had a nightmare in quite some time and her hands didn't shake any more. She wasn't doing any bounty hunting or distraction work, choosing to stay inside RangeMan walls most of the time. That and the complete willingness to have a bodyguard with her when she did leave were the only differences those of us who'd known her before could still plainly see in her.

Physical intimacy was returning as well. She was regaining her confidence in her own sexuality while also getting reacquainted with mine. I tried to keep my composure, tried to let her lead but she had always tested my control and sometimes it was quite a fight to keep my urges in check.

Binkie left with a nod and I leaned against the wall waiting for Steph to be done. She was beautiful, the twinkle had returned to her eyes. Watching her talk to the other women I knew that she had found a purpose here at the crisis center and it had given her the final piece she needed to fully recover from her ordeal.

The other women walked away and Steph turned to look at me. I watched as her eyes took in my body and her cheeks blushed. The knowledge that she was checking me out and that some kind of sexual thought crossed her mind making her face pink only served to tighten my groin. I held my hand out to her, pulling her into my body when she took it. I never tired of feeling her tiny, soft body against mine. "Ready to go?"

She nodded into my chest before pulling back and looking up at me. "Can we get some Chinese food for dinner? I'm hungry for an egg roll."

"Sure, Babe. Did you want to eat at the restaurant or take it home?" I searched her eyes for the answer. She was comfortable in public again, but was sometimes a little fragile after a function at the center and I didn't want to add to any nerves.

"The restaurant, please." She smiled and I couldn't help but get caught up in her energy. She was relaxed and happy tonight.

"You got it." I held her hand as we walked to the car, opening the Turbo door for her. She kept her hand in mine as we made the drive.

I pulled into a parking space and unbuckled my belt when Steph quickly leaned across the seat and kissed me. Her hand caressing my chest. My hands ran up her arms resting around her neck. She pulled back and looked at me, her eyes were bright and warm, "I love you, Carlos."

Giving her my full smile, the one only she sees, I returned her gaze. "I love you. I'm so very proud of you, Babe."

We enjoyed a quiet meal at a table at the back. I kept staring at her while she ate, something was changing in her and I couldn't take my eyes away. I couldn't remember a time when she was more beautiful, more glowing than now.

The drive back to Haywood was quiet, our hands locked the entire way. I had a hard time focusing on the drive, wanting to look at her instead of the road. When the elevator doors closed, I pulled her into my side. She wrapped her arms around my waist and let out a contented sigh.

Inside the apartment, I watched her slip out of her shoes before she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards the bathroom. Completely mesmerized by her mood and eyes, I simply followed not able to say a word. She knelt on the bed and smiled at me. Her eyes twinkled but there was an underlying nervousness that I was having hard a time reading.

She took a deep breath, wrapped her arms around my neck and let out a slow breath. "Make love to me?" Her eyes were unsure and I wasn't sure if it was the question or the potential for rejection that was making her feel that way.

I kissed her, pulling her tight against my chest. Her tiny hands pulled my shirt from my belt and slipped up my shirt. Her nails scratched up my spine lightly, making me shiver under her touch. My tongue traced her lips, making her groan when it slipped inside her sweet mouth.

Pulling back, I rested my forehead on hers, my hands cupping her cheeks. "God, Babe, I want you so much. Are you sure, Stephanie?" I used her full name wanting her to know how seriously I was taking this conversation, this act. I could wait as long as needed, I didn't want to pressure her or do something that would make her afraid.

"I'm sure. I love you Carlos. I know you're not him. I know you wouldn't hurt me, would never force yourself onto me. I want to feel connected to you like this again. I'd like to go slow, but I want this, want you. Please." Her fingers were cupping my cheeks as she talked her eyes never breaking from mine. I could feel the truth and assurance in her choice emanating from her body.

I nodded before kissing her again, my hands pulling at her shirt and breaking the kiss only long enough to remove both of our shirts. Steph's slender fingers roamed my chest playing with my nipples before her mouth followed the path causing a groan to leave my throat. Removing her bra my hands splayed across her bare back wanting to touch and feel as much of her skin as I could.

Steph's fingers trembled a bit as they worked the button and zipper on my pants. I captured those tiny fingers in mine and kissed them before stepping out of my boots, socks, and pants. Her eyes locked with mine as I pulled her down to the bed with me. I settled my body between her hips, keeping my weight on my forearms as I kissed her wanting my actions to show her just how much I loved her, how much I cherished the trust and faith she had in me.

"You are so beautiful." I whispered into her hair before my hands slid down her sides and worked her pants and panties from her body. Placing open-mouth kisses along her legs I moved up her body slowly wanting to take my time and not rush this or her.

Her hands were reaching for me, tugging me up to her. I could see some tension on her face and moved as she was directing me. I settled between her thighs again, caressing her cheeks with my knuckles, "If you need to stop just tell me, Babe."

"I just want to keep my eyes on yours. I need to feel that connection with you tonight." She smiled, her eyes bright as they bored into mine.

Steph opened her legs and titled her hips up at me, encouraging me. Positioning myself at her opening I watched her face and slid forward slowly. Both of us caught our breaths as the sensation of our bodies melding took us. When I was fully encased inside her, I stilled watching her face and cupping her cheeks in my hands. I rocked my hips slowly, groaning at the pleasure, at the reconnection with my love.

She closed her eyes and winced quickly, making me stop wanting to assure myself that she was still ok, that she was still with me. "Open your eyes, Babe. Stay with me now. Don't put me in that bad memory."

Her eyes fluttered open, her hands resting on my sides. She gave me a smile and moved her hips to me. "I'm with you, always."

We moved slowly our eyes fixed on each other, our bodies and souls completing the healing that we both so desperately needed. When relief came it washed over us gently not with a loud groan inside frantic movements and was the most satisfying orgasm of my life. I collapsed on top of her before rolling over and pulling her body on top of mine.

I held her there our bodies touching the entire night neither of us willing to break the connection. For the first time since arriving home from my last mission I didn't pray for Steph to heal. I knew she had in her own way and that her healing absolved me from all the guilt I had been carrying.

I was sitting in the conference room waiting for the morning meeting to start. Steph and I had a wonderful weekend reconnecting physically and emotionally. I needed it more than I knew, more than I could admit. It gave me the reassurance I needed for the grand gesture I think she needed, the one I knew she deserved and would never expect from me.

The room was filling up with my men and women. I was still getting used to having women on staff. Steph sat next to me in morning meetings now, she didn't used too. Lester, Bobby, Candy, and Amanda kept their distance for a long time too, until it became silly. Everyone knew who the couples were, it was ridiculous to pretend otherwise.

Tank and I wrapped up the business details quickly this morning, this had become the norm. The gals ran a tight ship and kept us incredibly organized. We were just about to adjourn when I announced that there was one more item needing discussed. All eyes were on me as though nothing was amiss but I was unusually nervous.

I slipped out of my chair onto my knees in front of Steph. Her eyes went wide as I grabbed her hand with one of mine, the other pulling a ring box out of my pocket. "Marry me, Babe?" I wanted to form the whole question, do it the right way but at the same time I wanted to do it in the way that we always connected, too.

You could have heard a pin drop in the room. Quiet was normal for this group but the tension was palpable as all eyes were on Steph. I was holding my breath waiting for her answer.

Her eyes welled up with tears and she threw her arms around me. "Yes, oh my God, Yes."

The entire room broke out into a loud cheer complete with whoops and claps. I put the ring on her finger and kissing her gently before she was ripped out of my arms for hugs from the rest of her Merry Men. I was given back slaps and handshakes from each of them as they left the conference room. I felt light as air and happier than I'd ever been watching Steph show the ring to the girls who'd become her best friends and healing partners.

We'd been through a lot together and with our lifestyles I knew the future wouldn't always be smooth sailing, but I also knew that as long as we were together we'd be able to heal whatever wounds came our way with love.

_Six Months Later_

We were at city hall, Steph and I were getting married. We decided not to have a big ceremony wanted to do something quiet. The actual ceremony was only making what was in our hearts legal it gave nothing else to us that we didn't already have. However, nothing was ever plain and simple where my Babe was concerned.

At her suggestion, Tank and Lula, Bobby and Amanda, and Lester and Candy were here with us too. All of us getting married today. It seemed fitting that the after all that we'd been through together in the last eleven months that we should get married together, that we should jointly put the pain of the past behind us collectively so that we could enjoy the promise of the future. And enjoy the future we would, who wouldn't with such amazing women by their sides?

_**The End**_


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